Natural killer (NK) cells are an important part of the innate immune system and they are thought play an important in host defense against foreign and abnormal cells including cancer and hematological malignancies. Preliminary work suggests that hematological malignancies can be treated by the administration of NK cells. The Cell Processing Laboratory has been working with Richard Childs MD to expand autologous NK cells that will be used to treat patients with cancer. The first patient will be treated in September 2008. The cell therapy laboratory will soon begin to investigate more efficient methods to expand these cells. Dendritic cells (DCs) are an important adjuvant for cancer vaccines. Over the past year the development and scale up of three protocols involving DCs has been completed, the procedures have been validated. Clinical Center patients with cancer are being treated with DCs on all three protocols. Bone marrow stromal cells (BMSCs) can inhibit mixed lymphocyte reactions. Preliminary studies suggest that autoimmune diseases can be treated with BMSCs. In addition, BMSCs secrete cytokines and growth factor that improve the healing of damaged tissue and BMSCs have used to treat patients with chronic graft versus host disease. The Cell Processing Laboratory has begun to work with Pamela Robey, PhD to produce clinical quality BMSCs for use by intramural investigators to treat clinical center patients. It is expected that the first patients will be treated next year.